


Passion Play

by CandiedClassics



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Allura and Lance are Siblings, Burlesque AU, Co-workers, Dancer Lance, Friends to Lovers, Guitarist Keith, Insignificant side OCs, M/M, Slow Burn, Waiter Lance, fake song lyrics, restaurant AU, stripper lance, waiter keith
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-16
Updated: 2017-12-16
Packaged: 2019-02-15 11:52:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13030482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CandiedClassics/pseuds/CandiedClassics
Summary: Keith lost his passion for life somewhere in the Nevada desert.His father owns The Flaming Sword, the finest restaurant in Las Vegas.Lance lost his passion for life somewhere in his 9 to 5.His family owns The Castle of Lions, Las Vegas's premier burlesque club.Between running the restaurant and saving the club from the brink of closing, the two slowly begin to ignite the light in their lives they'd thought was lost for good.And maybe they find a little of that light in each other along the way.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> “Six months. That’s all. If you can’t stand living around people after that, you can go back to your shack in the middle of nowhere and neither your father or I will ever bother you again. That’s the deal. Are we on the same page?”
> 
> Keith nodded. 
> 
> “I’ll do it. Just don’t expect me to like it.”

 

 

            “You just need to find your passion.”

            Keith rolled his eyes. If he had a dollar for every time Shiro had said that in the span of their two-hour drive he would have had more than enough money to jump out and get a taxi to take him back to his shack.

            “Yeah I get it. Can we change the subject?” he asked, not so subtly flicking up the volume on his mp3 player so the one ear listening to alternative rock music could hopefully drown out the one being forced to listen to Shiro’s lecture.

            “You know I’m right. You can’t just spend all your time wandering around in the desert waiting for something to happen. Sometimes you’ve just got to take life into your own hands. Your Dad is afraid you’re trying to follow in your mother’s footsteps. He’s concerned for you. So am I.” Shiro glanced at his passenger and offered a sympathetic smile but Keith only slumped further in his seat and kept his focus on the world passing them by.

            His head thudded absently against the window of Shiro’s Porsche, filling the awkward silence with a blatant reminder that Keith hated every minute of this. The sandy landscape had begun to thin out over the past 20 miles with lampposts and road signs filling in the gaps. Keith could see the great maw of the city in the distance, looming like an ugly stain amongst the natural plains.

            It was nauseating to think he would be living there for the next six months.

            “He would probably be relieved if I just disappeared like she did.” Keith said, breaking the looming silence with his bitterness. “He doesn’t give a shit about me, you know that.” Shiro seemed stung by his obvious loathing but didn’t offer any argument. “He just wants someone to run his stupid company for when his addiction to booze and heroin finally makes him croak. I don’t get why you can’t just take over for me instead, you’re clearly good at this.” He said, motioning to the expensive vehicle encasing them as if it was all the evidence he needed.

            Shiro smiled at that.

            “Because my family only owns half the company. And I certainly don’t plan on buying out your father for the rest any time soon. Besides, there are a lot of perks to working for ARUS. And we could be partners one day.”

            That didn’t seem to satisfy Keith who was busy scowling at the cars passing them by, most of them probably full of excited tourists planning to overdose on strip clubs and gambling.

            “Why can’t _she_ do it?”

            Shiro sighed. His patience with Keith was beginning to wear thin.

            “You know why she can’t do it, Keith.”

            Keith just crossed his arms over his chest, determined to keep his body language as defiant as possible as long as he was confined to his car seat.

            “Look, I know you aren’t one for business work. You’ve made that pretty clear…and maybe that’s what your father wants for you, but I just think you should invest yourself in something more than a desert shack.”

            “I like my shack.”

            “I know you do. And it’ll still be there six months from now if you decide to go back.”

            Keith couldn’t imagine any alternative.

            The rest of the ride continued in silence and Keith managed to sneak in a power nap while blowing through the rest of his Acidic Love album. When he next opened his eyes, he was overwhelmed with the urge to throw himself from the car in a last ditch effort to escape the steel monsters that now loomed over him in every direction. The once vacant vastness of the desert was completely swallowed up by cars, buildings and way too much noise

            While he managed to fight the need to jump out of the car, he couldn’t resist the urge to look at every little thing that passed the windows. They were trapped in the mid morning rush hour and swamped with cars on every side but there were still plenty of decorative hotels, strips and statues to look at. Keith hadn’t been in a city of any kind for almost five years now so being in one of the busiest in the country was overwhelming to say the least.

            There was just… so much. The city seemed to have every kind of display and attraction imaginable. Even without the aide of darkness, it was blinding with color and light. Keith couldn’t stop staring no matter how badly he wanted to and he was thankful Shiro didn’t comment on it.

            “Six months. That’s all. If you can’t stand living around people after that, you can go back to your shack in the middle of nowhere and neither your father or I will ever bother you again. That’s the deal. Are we on the same page?”

            Keith nodded.

            “I’ll do it. Just don’t expect me to like it.”

 

 ----------------------------------------------------------------------

 

            “You just need to find your passion.”

            Lance nodded to the sleep deprived face staring back at him in the bathroom mirror. His hair was still damp from his morning shower and while the cool water had managed to make him feel a little less like a zombie, it failed to erase the bags under his eyes.

            Taking a deep breath, he forced a grin on his face, aiming finger guns at himself.

            “You’re the man! You’re clever and handsome and all the ladies love ya!” The confidence didn’t quite meet his eyes and he deflated a moment later, rubbing his hands over his face and groaning. “You can do it… just another day…”

            Another boring day of bussing tables for rude tourists followed by a night of polishing shot glasses for rude tourists that were twice as loud.

            He often wondered why he even bothered with these morning pep talks. They never gave him the confidence that his Mama had when she would say the same things to his sleepy ears till he managed to crack his first smile for the day. Now when he did it, instead of lifting him up, they often left him feeling a little pathetic, with a painful ache for his mother lingering in his chest.          

            But at least the encouragements reminded him that deep deep down, there was still some glimmer of excitement lingering inside him, waiting for the chance to shine. But with every soul-crushing day that passed, that glimmer seemed to grow dim and obsolete.

            “Lance! Are you done in there? I need to put my make up on!”

            Lance shook off the depressing thoughts and started to run a comb through his damp hair, taking his sweet sweet time to further spite his sister.

            “Well that’s just too bad! You can wait; you don’t even go to work till 1 o’clock! I on the other hand have to look nothing short of perfect before 9 every day. You should have more sympathy on me Allura.”

            He could hear her growl threateningly before she started banging on the door hard enough to quite possibly leave a dent.

            “Hey watch it! The rent’s expensive enough without damage fees!”

            “Then I suggest you hurry up and let me in before we need to add hospital fees on top of that!”

            “Okay okay! Geez…” Lance huffed and unlocked the bathroom door, letting his sister move into the cramped room and plant her make-up bag on the counter. “Remind me why we didn’t buy the apartment with the double wide bathroom again?”

            Allura hummed as she started laying on primer and concealer to her already flawless face.

            “Because that apartment only had one bedroom and you made it very clear you were ‘done sharing a bedroom with your rotor mouth sister.’ To which the resulting choke hold was more than deserved.”

            “Hey, not my fault you snore like a lawn mower.”

            “I resent that.”

            Lance chuckled and moved in beside her, looking at himself in the mirror and making sure his hair was perfectly quaffed before grabbing his moisturizing lotion and rubbing some over his cheeks.

            “Who’s in the line up for tonight?” he watched as Allura finished applying eye shadow and tapped the brush to her chin in thought.

            “Florona and Shay are doing the opening number to ‘Gemini’ by Starlane.”

            “Quality song choice.”

            “Then Ezor and Zethrid are going to debut their acrobatic act to the instrumentals of ‘Naughty Thieves’ by Celeste Wildstein.”

            “Hopefully Zethrid doesn’t get carried away and break a stage light again.”

            “Ezor insists they’ve got it under control. After that I’m on solo with ‘Liquid Lust’ by Madame Maxine. Rax and Leon are back up.”

            “Rax? I would have gone with someone a little less…dickish.”

            Allura ignored him and passed Lance the coconut oil he’d been reaching for.

            “Then Luxia is covering the intermission on piano with a series of classics from different musicals.”

            “You booked Luxia? That’s awesome! She hasn’t been around in ages!”

            “I managed to pull some strings.” Allura finished off her mascara and winked at herself in the mirror. “Anyways, then I’m on again with Ezor, Fuko, Edith, Nyma and Narti dancing to ‘Neon Champagne’ by LeatherLips.”

            “Good good.”

            “Then Zethrid, Florona and Shay join in and we wrap up with the ending number from ‘Spotlight Baby’.”

            “A Broadway classic. Sounds like a good show. I hope the turn out will be better this week.”

            “You and me both…the crowds have been dismal lately. And this is supposed to be prime tourist season.” Allura finished glossing her lips with a pop and Lance handed over her hairbrush before she could even ask.

            “I wish I could say the same for the restaurant. I’m going to have to start taking painkillers religiously with how much my feet having been murdering me lately. The owner is such a slave driver too. It wouldn’t be so bad if he weren’t filling half the tables with shady executives that refuse to pay a dime. I swear I would totally quit if I didn’t think it would end with my neck being rung in a back alley, mafia style!”

            Allura rolled her eyes and left the bathroom with Lance following down the hall not far behind.

            “Oh quit complaining. You know damn well you’re lucky to be working at The Flaming Sword. It’s the most high-end restaurant in Vegas, and you make a killing in tips. I know how much you spend on video games Lance.”

            “I resent that.”

            The two siblings shared a laugh before parting ways through the bedroom doors that stood across from each other in their tiny four-room flat.

            Lance was dressed and ready in his usual 15 minutes, giving his red tie one more quick adjustment in the hall mirror before tucking it beneath his silken black vest.

            Allura was sitting on their dingy used couch in the living room in nothing but sweat pants and a sports bra, scrolling through her phone and paying no mind to her younger brother when he strolled in.

            Why she insisted on putting on make up before getting sweaty and gross in the dance studio he would never understand. Then again, he still insisted on doing his full skin routine every morning despite sweating it off within an hour of work at the restaurant.

            “I get off at 5 so I’ll see you around 6 tonight.”

            His sister merely waved him off in response, not bothering to look up from her phone screen. He’d learned not to take that personally.

            Lance pulled on his jacket to cover the top half of his uniform and keep himself somewhat street presentable on his walk to work. He then grabbed his shoulder bag, which he’d packed with the usual change of clothes and bottles of ibuprofen the night before. He’d pocketed his phone and had his hand on the doorknob when Allura stopped him.

            “Lance—take these.” she picked up a large stack of fliers from the coffee table and handed them over to her brother without even looking at him. “Don’t forget to put them up on your way to work.”

            Upon making his usual complaints about not getting paid enough, Lance was quickly rushed out of the apartment with a stapler and tape shoved in his bag and Allura’s nagging voice following him down the hall.

            He didn’t manage to look the fliers over till he posted the first one on the notice board in the lobby of their apartment building. He smiled as he admired the decorative purples and blues that covered the newest ad, along with the nicely centered line of gorgeous ladies in corsets, each of which he had the good fortune of knowing by name. Pidge had really outdone herself with the design this time.

            Lance turned on his heel a moment later and hurried off to work, leaving the flier fluttering in the wake of the closing front door.

 

**Friday, June 23 rd**

**Come Witness**

**Enough Glitter to Outshine the Stars**

**And Beauty that Rivals the Milky Way in**

**A LEGACY OF LIGHTS**

**Presented by**

**The Castle of Lions**

**Las Vegas’s Premier Burlesque Club**

**(Take a selfie with this flier, get a half priced drink! ;) )**


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Keith is going to be working at the restaurant with you starting tomorrow.” Shiro filled in.  
> “Really? Huh.” Lance seemed genuinely taken aback, giving the other a once over that had Keith feeling more than a little bit defensive.  
> “Is that a problem?” [...]  
> Lance just smirked.  
> “Not at all. Just know as far as tip game goes, I play to win.”

 

            “It’s so good to see you! It’s been ages.”

            Alistair Kogane couldn’t have been a worse actor if he tried. From the moment the man entered his office to find his son standing there, the air reeked of disappointment.

            “Keith! My god look at how you’ve grown! How old are you now? 19?”

            “24.”

            “Ah. Well you look great! Why, your eyes look—“

            “Just like Mom’s. Yeah I know.” Keith flinched when Shiro’s hand came to rest on his shoulder, a not so subtle reminder to act civil. He forced himself not to scowl quite so hard and to relax his fists before he was tempted to throw one right into his Dad’s stupid face.

            Mr. Kogane seemed to have already lost patience with the conversation and instead decided to address Shiro as he went behind his large redwood desk to pull a cigar case from one of the drawers.

            “Thank you for bringing him Shiro. I understand that the drive was a bit…out of the way for you.” He offered a cigar to which Shiro politely declined. Mr. Kogane was smart enough not to bother with offering any to Keith and instead spoke to his son without any fake kindness garnishing his words this time.

            “While I’m sure Shiro has already gone over my reasons for bringing you here, I feel I should make a few things a bit more clear.” He took out a stainless steel engraved lighter from his pocket and lit the end of his cigar as he spoke. “I’m not asking you to go snatch up some layaway retail job in the city. You’ll be working for ARUS Entertainment for the entirety of your six month stay.”

            Keith could appreciate him getting straight to the point, so he wouldn’t beat around the bush either.

            “What will I be doing exactly?” Even if his body language had softened up, his voice never lost its edge of disgust. It likely never would.

            Cigar smoke started to flood the room as Mr. Kogane flicked the lighter closed and began speaking between puffs.

            “Well that’s up to you. ARUS isn’t a one-act show. We have restaurants, casinos and clubs all across the city, you could work at any one of them.”

            “Anything a bit more quiet?”

            His Dad laughed at that, his guffaw sending more smoke clouds into the air.

            “Son, you’re in Las Vegas, the party capitol of the world! If you manage to find even a library that’s quiet I would be impressed.”

            His father’s teasing made Keith’s ears ring and his skin twinge and itch in discomfort. He couldn’t swallow his words no matter how much he mumbled.

            “Don’t call me son.”

            Shiro stepped in then, knowing better than to leave Keith to the mercy of his father’s sense of humor.

            “Why don’t I take him on a tour? That way he can get a feel for what fits best?”

            Keith was more than grateful for any excuse to get out of that office as soon as possible.

            “That’s a great idea Shiro. When you two finish up meet me at Olkari Gardens. I can show you your new apartment.” Alistair’s grin towards his son was met with nothing but ice.

            “I can move in on my own.”

            Mr. Kogane didn’t argue further.

 

 --------------------------------------------------------------

 

            ARUS Entertainment had exactly seven locations throughout Las Vegas and each one seemed to be more decadent than the last. His father had always prided the company at being the height of luxury, catering only to the wealthiest of patrons and giving everything from their slot machines to their cocktail olives an air of exclusivity.

            Keith hated all of it.

            The chrome and crystal reminded him of everything he had tried to get away from when he made his home in the desert three years ago. He had no desire to try and manage his father’s overpriced indulgence bars and he felt he’d been pretty clear about that.

            Nonetheless, he kept his patience as Shiro took him to the locations and gave him brief tours of each. Keith showed nothing more than apathy the entire time but in his mind that was being polite, all things considered. He wasn’t exactly doing this of his own volition.

            It was just past two when they reached their last stop; the Luxite Lounge and Casino, along with the restaurant that sat on top known as The Flaming Sword.

            The building was no more imposing than it’s neighbors, with only a tastefully lit cursive sign for advertisement. On the outside, it didn’t read as anything special but the inside easily put the last six locations to absolute shame.

            It was like stepping into the foyer of a mid century castle, with enough candle light and crystal chandelier’s to blind a man. There was a gentle scent of lilac in the air that seemed to waft around under the piano music that echoed from where a baby grand stood not a few yards from the entrance.

            There was an archway on either side of them, with the one to their right leading into the casino area and the one on the left leading to the much quieter, more decadent lounge area. This place was definitely the most peaceful of all the locations. The sheer affluence of it was probably more than enough to keep away the common noisy tourist.

            Keith tried not to look too interested as Shiro showed him both areas, but it was a little difficult. The casino had slot machines that looked hand gilded and the card tables were so seamless and smooth that he couldn’t resist running his hand over the black fabric surface. The lounge area had a soothing low light to it and a separate floor area three steps down from the bar that housed rounded booths and mod leather couches. The bar itself was hand carved mahogany with stained glass trimmings and Keith felt like he would be arrested the moment he touched it as if he were assaulting an art piece.

            The bartender wordlessly handed over what looked to be a glass of scotch the moment they’d walked up, which Shiro dutifully passed to Keith. He thanked him and took a sip. It was…really good. Keith had had his fair share of hard liquor and as much as he hated to admit it, this was quality stuff. At least his Dad had decent taste in drinks.

            Abruptly, Keith felt out of place.

            Of course he felt like he didn’t belong almost anywhere he went in this city, but now he was feeling…a little embarrassed. He was standing in a velvet lined palace in nothing but a very old pair of dark jeans and his black t-shirt that was still dusted with sand, and he suddenly wished he’d taken a shower before leaving with Shiro that morning.

            His tour guide hardly seemed to notice his discomfort, leading him back into the main hall and towards the elegant staircase and single gold plated elevator that stood to the side of it, opposite the main entrance.

            “The stairs lead up to the ball room where larger parties and gatherings can rent the space. But besides the maintenance stairs, this elevator is the only way up to The Flaming Sword.” He explained, the golden doors opening nearly the moment he hit the button.

            Keith sipped his scotch as they stood in what felt like a small bedroom of an elevator and ascended up to the third floor. There was a soft ding and then the doors were sliding open to reveal the nicest restaurant he had ever seen.

            The room felt like a ballroom all it’s own but instead of a dance floor, neat circular, white clothed tables covered the area, almost all of which were full. Keith counted only four booths, two embedded into either wall, although they were more like side rooms, even having their own thin sheer curtain hanging in front for added privacy. There was a large partition made of hand carved wood with frosted glass inlays at the far end that covered the entrance to the kitchens in the back, giving the appearance that the waiters appeared seemingly out of nowhere. Instead of a pianist, a woman sat in a chair in the front left corner, playing the cello.

            An attendant by the entrance immediately moved to offer aid.

            “What’s the name for the reser—oh! My apologies Mr. Shirogane.” She bowed slightly looked much more flustered. “I wasn’t aware you would be dining with us today. Shall I show you to your usual booth?”

            Shiro smiled and shook his head.

            “Thank you Mia, but I’m just here to give a tour. I won’t be long.”

            The hostess nodded and returned to her podium by the door and Keith finally couldn’t hold it in.

            “This place is…nice.”

            Shiro looked elated when he heard that. It was the only compliment Keith had offered since they started nearly five hours ago.

            “I’m glad you like it. It’s only been open for a few months now. Your Dad was in the planning stage of this for years. I think it came out nice.”

            Keith nodded in agreement as a waiter came by and took up his empty glass without sparing him even a glance.

            “It’s pretty full for past lunch hour.”

            “It’s almost always full. Even though this is a pricy place for most, it’s garnered enough good reviews and press that business hasn’t slowed beyond five open tables at a time.”

            “Holy hell…”

            “So are you interested?”

            “Huh?”

            “In working here. You seem to like it more than the others.” He pointed out and Keith couldn’t really argue with that fact.

            The place was busy, but the noise was nothing beyond a loud murmur and the clink of silverware. Yes it was full of people, but these people weren’t here to get drunk or gamble, they were here to act refined. The amount of irritating characters he would meet here seemed less likely than the other places. He honestly couldn’t imagine working in a casino for more than a day before he punched some drunken asshole in the face. He’d never had a very good temper. Not to mention this location was a solid five miles away from his Dad’s office space, which was as good a distance as he could get in the city.

            Keith found himself nodding slowly as he confirmed all this to himself. This was good. If he had to be working for his Dad for the next six months, this would be the place.

            “Yeah, I’m in. I’ll work here.”

            Shiro’s instant relief was palpable and Keith nearly fell over with how hard the other slapped his back.

            “Fantastic. Let me go talk with the manager Olia to see what positions are open. Wait here.” He strolled away towards a curtained door that was labeled ‘Manager’s Office’ in gold plaiting.

            Keith sorely wished he’d asked to come with because the moment he was left alone, that familiar discomfort and embarrassment started to creep up on him again.

            Maybe he could get himself a drink from the kitchens to calm his nerves.

            He carefully sidestepped his way through the small sea of crowded tables and over towards the back of the restaurant. He went up to the wood partition that stood in front of the kitchen doors and attempted to walk around one side of it only to immediately get slammed into so hard he was thrown back on his ass.

            “Woah-ah gotcha!”

            Keith looked up in time to see the waiter he’d just hit make a brilliant save, catching the martini glass that had been on his serving tray before it could shatter on the polished marble floors.

            The boy exhaled and stood up straight, placing the glass back on the tray with the cocktail shaker before setting said tray on the nearest empty table and kneeling down in front of Keith.

            “My deepest apologies sir. Are you alright?”

            The waiter was…surprisingly handsome.

            He had rich tan skin and thin brown hair that stuck up in a few spots, giving him a glow of youthful energy that somehow didn’t deter his elegance. The restaurant’s clean-cut uniform made anyone look more mature and stiff but somehow this guy managed to wear it with the air of someone attending a party rather than a day job. He couldn’t have been more than a year younger than Keith, yet his smile was boyish and charming in a way that would look strange on an older adult.

            And there was something in the way his deep blue eyes were down cast in polite concern that made Keith want to apologize instead.

            “I…yeah I’m okay.” He mumbled.

            The waiter’s concern lifted some as he extended his hand.

            “Can I offer some assistance?”

            Keith didn’t like that. The words sounded very forced and wrong coming from someone so casual looking. He took the offered hand and got to his feet slowly.

            “Thanks.”

            “It was no issue. May I ask why you were heading towards the kitchens? Is the food not to your liking? If you’re looking for the restrooms, they are towards the front and to the right.”

            Keith shook his head and rubbed the back of his neck, the awkwardness beginning to creep up on him once more. He hadn’t talked to anyone he wasn’t familiar with in so long, holding a conversation was as torturous as pulling eye lashes.

            “Uh no…I’m not here to…I wanted to get a drink actually.” He mumbled.

            The waiter’s polite expression suddenly cracked into one of amused confusion that was still charming somehow.

            “Uh…well if you were to wait at your table I can have one out for you in a minute. Complimentary, to make up for my clumsiness.”

            “Oh you don’t have to---“

            “Keith! There you are!” Shiro’s voice broke the awkward tension in the air and Keith felt himself start to relax again once that familiar hand was on his shoulder.

            “So I talked to Olia and—oh I see you’ve already met Lance!”

            “Well I kinda-“

            “Shiro! Oh man am I glad to see you!” The change in the waiter’s demeanor was jarring and Keith had to make a double take.

            The waiter, Lance, was grinning in a way that was much more fitting for his person and he seemed to instantly drop out of his waiter persona with ease.

            “I didn’t know you were back in town already. How was Japan?”

            Shiro returned the familiarity, seeming to forget Keith was right beside him.

            “Great. Olia tells me you’ve really come into your own these past two months. She says you’re a natural.”

            Lance got a little flustered at that, his cheeks going pink as he fidgeted with the collar of his shirt.

            “Well you know me. I’m good at keeping things running. Not to mention my charm certainly works well with the customers.” He flashed a confident grin and a wink towards Shiro that Keith was mildly affronted by. No one just _flirted_ at Shiro like that. At least, no one he’d ever had the chance to witness.

            “Well I’m glad this is working out for you. Everything alright with the Castle?”

            Castle? Keith looked at Shiro for some sort of clarification but didn’t even get so much as a glance.

            “The Castle’s great, though business has been slow…Allura has been working herself like crazy to put on a good show but it’s just not drawing in the crowds.”

            Shiro looked honestly sympathetic at that

            “I’m sorry to hear that. I’m sure things will pick up later in the season.”

            “Yeah well---Oh uh. Sorry. Who’s your friend?” Keith was surprised he was actually being acknowledged and could feel Shiro rearing up to answer for him, so he beat him to it.

            “I’m Keith. I’m an…old friend of Shiro’s.”

            “Really? That’s awesome. Sorry again for running into you like that.” He apologized and this time Keith didn’t feel quite so uncomfortable.

            “It’s fine. I should have paid better attention.”

            “Keith is going to be working at the restaurant with you starting tomorrow.” Shiro filled in.

            “Really? Huh.” Lance seemed genuinely taken aback, giving the other a once over that had Keith feeling more than a little bit defensive.

            “Is that a problem?” Maybe now wasn’t the time to be pressing for a fight but Keith had been on edge since Shiro’s Porsche drove up to his shack that morning.

            Lance just smirked.

            “Not at all. Just know as far as tip game goes, I play to win.” He said and picked up his tray where he’d discarded it earlier. “I need to get back to work. You staying for lunch?”

            Suddenly Keith seemed to realize he hadn’t eaten anything other than a bagel that morning and his stomach loudly answered for him. He flushed with embarrassment as Shiro chuckled and lead them to an open table.

            “I think we will take you up on that, thanks.”

            Keith gladly took his seat, watching Lance swiftly walk over to one of the far tables, his waiter persona dusted off and put back on the moment he bent over to pour the customer’s martini.

            “I went to college with his older sister Allura.” Shiro explained and Keith abruptly turned back to his friend when he realized he had been staring.

            “Ah.”

            “I put in a good word for him when I learned he was job hunting. It’s good to see that he likes it here. I think you will too.”

            Keith wasn’t as sure about that but before he could say so, a fresh glass of scotch was suddenly set next to him on the table. Lance grinned when Keith looked up at him, poising a tray with eight plates on it like it wasn’t heavier than a cereal bowl.

            “Just from one co-worker to another, right side’s for entering, left side’s for leaving.” He said, pointing to the partition. “Try not to mow anyone down on your first day.” He winked before returning to the floor and Keith tried to hide his blush behind the rim of his glass as his gaze followed Lance around the room.

            “S’not too bad.” He conceded.

 

 --------------------------------------------------------------

 

            “It’s so good to see you! It’s been ages!”

            Lance practically draped himself over Hunk the moment the other had walked through the break room door, barely giving his friend a chance to set his bag down.

            “Haha aw c’mon buddy, I was only in New York for two weeks!” Hunk consoled, patting Lance on the head until the other finally let go and went to sit sideways on one of the cushy sofas, legs draped over the armrest.

            “Yeah but it was only supposed to be one!”

            “Hey not my fault Sal doesn’t know how to cook a skirt steak properly. I wasn’t about to leave that place until I was certain their chef knew the fundamentals of proper cooking.” Hunk pulled his chef’s apron and favorite bandana from the employee closet as he spoke, looking at himself in the tall mirror on the door as he tied on each.

            “Well at least Kogane knows he’s lucky to have you around. If sending you off to train chefs at other locations doesn’t scream huge pay raise, I don’t know what does.”

            Hunk shrugged.

            “I got a bonus for it but he didn’t say anything about a promotion. I don’t really mind staying where I am. I’ve had enough teaching for at least a year.” He sighed and dusted off his apron once more before turning around, holding out his arms for Lance to get a good view.

            He held up his thumbs in approval and turned over on the sofa, leaning his head on his arms as he watched Hunk sit on the couch across from him and roll out his set of knives and other cutlery on the coffee table to take inventory.

            “So you coming to the Castle tonight? Shay’s going to be so stoked to see you. She’s really been missing you, you know.”

            Hunk blushed and awkwardly scratched at his bandanna.

            “Really?”

            “Uh, duh! She’s your girlfriend! Of course she’s been missing you. I can tell because she always gets snappy with Rax whenever you guys don’t see each other for a while. You should have seen it, she really laid into him the other night when he accidentally broke Florona’s feather fan before the ‘Holy Heaven’ routine. It was great! Wish I’d recorded it.”

            Hunk chuckled at that and wrapped up his tool kit again.

            “Yeah well I can’t imagine that’s going to make Rax like me any more than he does now. Which is not at all.”

            “Aw he’ll get over it. He’s just the overprotective type. Besides you know he would sooner break his own fingers before making his sister cry. He won’t get between you two.”

            Lance fiddled with a mint wrapper he’d had in his pocket as Hunk sat back with a distant smile on his face.

            “Yeah I hope…”

            “So will you come?”

            “I’ll try. I’m working till closing but I should be able to come in to watch the finale. Is Shay performing tonight?”

            Lance nodded, twisting around so his legs hung over the back of the chair and he was looking at Hunk upside down.

            “Yup! The opening and the closer. It’s gonna be great! We got--” Lance was interrupted by the sound of his phone alarm chiming, signaling the end of his break.

            “Uuuuuugh…why can’t Olia give us longer breaks? 15 minutes is nothing….” He whined, rolling off the couch and going to the closet mirror where he adjusted his tie and smoothed out his hair. He really needed to get it cut soon, the back parts were growing out too long for his liking. Much like…

            “Oh! Shiro was here today!” He said, turning toward Hunk with renewed excitement.

            “Really? He’s back from Japan already? I thought he would have wanted to spend a little extra time there, since it’s his home country.”

            Lance scoffed and dusted off his silk vest as they both walked towards the doors leading back into the kitchen.

            “Please. Kogane probably wouldn’t let him. Co-owners or not I bet he just made some excuse for Shiro to come back right away. It’s nothing but work with that guy, he’s such a prick…”

            “Geez, you really don’t like him.”

            “Let’s just say I’ve learned not to trust his type.”

            “But why was Shiro here anyways?”

            The two of them traversed back through kitchen, which was as busy and loud as ever, the sounds of sautéing and chopping echoing around them. Hunk smiled and waved at the other cooks who seemed ecstatic that he had finally returned.

            “He was showing some dude around. Said his name was Keith and that he was an old friend but the guy had to be our age. The dude nearly made me break my first glass when he ran into me! Not to mention he totally had an eighties mullet. I’ve never seen a hair cut so bad before.”

            “Uh huh…”

            “Anyways, Shiro said he’s going to be working here with us. Probably waiting tables or something. He didn’t really look like a waiter type though. Serious resting bitch face on that one…”

            “Sounds like you’re going to be the one doing some teaching this time.”

            Lance waved him off.

            “Nah it’ll probably be Natalie or someone. But who knows, maybe I’ll give him some pointers on how to charm the ladies right. Not too many though, I don’t earn my tips just from having a pretty face.”

            “Right of course not.”

            “Anyways, we have that to look forward to. It’s good to have you back though. The chefs were going a little nuts with Toris in charge. I swear he knocked over like four mixing bowls.”

            As if on cue, there was a loud clatter from the back oven station and Hunk sighed heavily.  

            “Not one of my better decisions…” he conceded and Lance laughed, slapping his friend on the back.

            “I’ll see you at the Castle then, no bailing on me.” Lance picked up his tray and with a quick twirl and bow, was back on the serving floor.

 

 --------------------------------------------------------------

 

            “Hey shot boy! ‘Nother round over here!”

            “You got it, handsome!”

            The club was booming and the sound of drunken chatter and electric jazz in the background was like the perfect energy drink for Lance, who was already rushed off his feet getting drinks before the residual ache from his eight hours of being a waiter had the chance to fade.

            Still, if he had to choose a place to service people, he would always pick The Castle of Lions, hands down. This place was as much his home as any and at least here, he didn’t have to hide behind some polite persona and he could flirt as much as he pleased.

            “Ryu! I need two Cosmos, a Bloody Mary, five West Coast rum shots and a gin and tonic, extra lime!” He called over to the bar tender who immediately started to prep the drinks, giving Lance a moment to catch his breath. As much as working the floor allowed him the chance to socialize, he almost wished he had been put on bar duty so that he could at least have something to lean on when his feet felt close to falling off.

            He wouldn’t curse the crowd though, the club was much busier than last week and they certainly needed the audience. Hopefully it would only get better from here. He watched Ezor and Zethrid do the traditional closing twirl and bow to a round of applause. Their acrobatic act had gone much better than expected and Lance was genuinely surprised Ezor could do so many flips in thin air.

            Allura would be up next and he wondered absently which hairstyle she had decided to go with for the performance. He thought a braid would have been nice but she was always partial to a bun.

            “Here. Also take this bottle of champagne to table 13.”

            Lance turned around and picked up the now heavily loaded tray, managing to balance it on his shoulder before he turned and ventured once more into the waiting tables.

            His work at the restaurant made his memory of what needed to be delivered where nearly flawless and Lance was swift in laying down glances and shooting off a few wayward flirtations.

            “Here you are beautiful.”

            “One Cosmo for one sexy lady.”

            “This gin and tonic is unworthy of your lovely lips!”

            Most of the time he just got a shy ‘thanks’ or a roll of the eyes but occasionally he found phone numbers stuffed in the waist of his pants that certainly hadn’t been there earlier.

            He never did call them for reasons even he couldn’t explain fully. Drunken patrons typically weren’t great dating material anyway.

            Lance had just finished laying down the round of rum shots at a nearby booth with only the champagne left to deliver, when he heard the first notes of ‘Liquid Lust’ fill the room. He immediately turned towards the stage in time to see the curtains lifting to reveal Allura’s silhouette against the stage screen.

_Relax my darling_

_Don’t be ashamed_

_Come and sip upon_

_My sweet sweet champagne_

            Maddame Maxine’s sultry voice echoed throughout the club as Allura turned towards the crowd and began to stride toward them. As usual, she looked stunning, wearing a short, black sequin flapper dress that was befitting such an old classic song. She even had on black silk wrist gloves as an added touch. Instead of a bun or a braid, she had decided to keep her hair down for once, with a black rose hairpiece for decoration that accented each platinum dyed strand perfectly.

            If Lance’s memory served correct, then this routine was composed of mostly slow, seductive movements rather than anything vigorous that would cause her hair to be an issue. Allura always looked best with her hair down anyways, especially in the promo posters for the castle.

            _I want to give you a little taste_

_So don’t you dare put it to waste_

            Lance leaned on an empty table and watched his sister strut out center stage, her movements starting off slow and rhythmic until the music picked up.

            Her lip-syncing to the music was on point as always, even when she got caught up in the more expressive dance moves, her legs kicking up and hips twisting in a series of moves drawn straight from a ball room jive.

_Liquid Lust is my cocktail_

_And I don’t play games_

_So serve me up a sweet one_

_That will set my heart aflame_

            The crowd loved her, which wasn’t a surprise. Her stage name was Princess for a reason, and the Castle was where she ruled. Her performances always drew the most attention, and she had been the club’s poster child for the past six years since she started performing for them at 20. She was born for the stage and she certainly proved it.

            _Come on naughty boy_

_Mix me up something new_

_Liquid Lust is my special potion_

_And I know just what to do_

            That was the cue for Rax and Leon to come out, dressed in nothing but black jeans and tank tops as was typical for any male back up. They lifted Allura up by her arms, spun her around and let her perch on their shoulders like a throne.

            She belonged up there and it was as if Madame Maxine was living inside her with how convincingly she pretended to belt the lyrics.

            Lance leaned on a nearby table and closed his eyes, allowing the music to wash over him, his memory drawing up the choreography to match each note. He could almost picture what Allura must be seeing, what the crowded club looked like from Rax and Leon’s shoulders, the dozens of faces staring up at him and the wolf whistles in his ears.

_“My love will never be sated”_

_“Until I’m intoxicated!”_

            He could see it. Feel it even. He was up there, looking down on the crowd, his legs crossed daintily and his back arched as he belted out the lyrics, not in Madame Maxine’s thick voice, but his own dulcet one.

            _“Liquid lust is my cocktail”_

_“And I don’t play games”_

            Leon and Rax were letting him down and he strutted forward, letting his hands run up his sequined hips and into his hair as he swiveled once, then twice for the crowd before suddenly turning back towards his dancers, taking two dramatic steps forward.

            _“So serve me up a sweet one”_

            Then he was falling back as he belted the final notes, letting Rax and Leon dip him nearly to the floor with one long leg pointed straight in the air and one hand caressing the stage just beneath his head.

            _“That will set my heart aflaaaaame!”_

            Lance jolted when the room suddenly erupted in loud clapping and cheering, effectively shattering his fantasy and throwing him from the stage, right into the crowd, his black sequins and violet perfume traded for spilled liquor stains and the stench of stale cigarette smoke.

            He watched Allura stand up from the ending pose he had just been in and take her twirl and bow before leaving with the back up dancers

            Sighing, Lance scrubbed a hand over his face to try and wipe away the last vestiges of stage elation he had felt even for that brief moment, knowing he had to school himself into work mode again.

            But before he could even let the void of hopelessness sink back in, someone was nudging his shoulder.

            He turned to see a woman in very strict business attire standing beside him, arms crossed and a disapproving look painted on her face. She wore glasses that did nothing to calm the sharp angle of her cheeks or the piercing stab of her gaze and her black hair was in a tight bun that looked mildly uncomfortable. All together, Lance had never seen anyone quite so _stiff_ in the club before.

            “Oh uh, what can I—“

            “Is that champagne for booth 13?”

            “Huh?”

            Lance looked back at his tray on the table that still had the lone bottle of champagne and two flutes sitting upon it.

            “Yeah actually. Are you—“

            “Seeing as you aren’t accustomed to doing your job, I’ll go ahead and deliver it.”

            “Well I-“

            She snatched up the bottle and glasses before Lance could protest and was turning to leave when she suddenly moved the bottle to the crook of her elbow and dug around in her pocket, procuring a business card a moment later and handing it to Lance.

            “Give this to Mrs. McClain. Tell her Mr. Sincline would like to meet with her.”

            “Uh ok. Who is—“

            But the woman had already turned and walked away before he could get the question out.

            Lance squinted at the business card in the dim lighting, managing to make out the name Lotor Sincline in gold cursive.

            Who the hell was that?

            “Hey waiter! Can I get a Rum Runner?”

            Lance looked over at the customer calling to him and quickly picked up his tray, sliding the business card into the back pocket of his jeans and letting that familiar mask of suave delight coat his features once more.

            “Anything for you, sexy!”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So second chapter is up and the story is now actually beginning!
> 
> Fair warning, this will start out more as a restaurant au and slowly transition into the burlesque au. You'll still get tastes of each of course.
> 
> The song "Liquid Lust by Madame Maxine" is entirely fake. Fake songs are going to be a common thing in this fic because referencing real life media breaks the universe magic for me when I read fanfiction. That being said, I'm shit with writing songs so all of the fake songs will typically have a real life song used for inspiration. 
> 
> If you want an idea of what the song would sound like/the tone of it, and possibly where bits of lyric come from, you can listen to the real life song inspiration that I will post in the ending notes.
> 
> For this chapter:
> 
> Liquid Lust by Madame Maxine = Nasty Naughty Boy by Christina Aguilera 
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2c0pL9C-z8
> 
> (This is a very very lewd song, but it fits the sound and feel of a lot of old burlesque music. Still, you can see why I changed the lyrics. It's a bit #Extra.)

**Author's Note:**

> Please Read:
> 
> Alright alright, welcome to Passion Play aka the Klance burlesque AU no one asked for.  
> This is an incredibly self indulgent story that is heavily inspired by the 2010 Burlesque movie. (that movie was great and lead to my gay awakening and I will personally fight for it)  
> Because of that, beats in the story will reflect some parts of the movie's plot but overall, it's very different.  
> It is also heavily inspired by the music from the movie, which you'll see what I mean by that in the future.  
> This is a more modern American style of burlesque, meaning it leans more towards the elaborate shows and strip teases rather than the witty skits but I might throw some of that in too.  
> This is also a restaurant AU so if y'all prefer that stuff, eyy something for everyone.
> 
> As you can see, the format of the fic will be that each chapter begins with Keith's POV in the first half and ends with Lance's POV in the second half. The way you can tell when they switch is when the first line of the chapter repeats itself about halfway through (after a page break). This isn't a rewind, flip flop style fic, the repetition of the line won't be in the same context.
> 
> If you like the idea/AU, please tell me so I know I won't just be writing to myself. I'd like to have an audience, even if it is a niche one.
> 
> And that's about it! Also, if you're wondering what song Keith is listening to in the beginning of the chapter, it's probably this:  
> The (Shipped) Gold Standard - Fall Out Boy  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9cJNU7Gzy0
> 
> (Keith is an FOB emo over MCR, fight me)


End file.
